Your Naughty Penis Questions, Answered

Sex Question: How many times a day does a man get an erection?

Anywhere from zero to dozens—and that’s dozens with an s. It depends on a lot of factors, including his age, health, medications, mood and how stimulated he is. But in sleep, healthy men experience an average of three to six erections, some lasting more than 30 minutes.

Sex Question: Does circumcision make a difference in pleasure for men?

The short answer is maybe, but no one knows for sure. Foreskin is full of nerve endings, so uncircumcised men may be more sensitive. Also, since the head of a circumcised penis is always exposed, it may be less sensitive than one that comes out only during an erection. Despite this, there’s no evidence to suggest a significant difference in sexual satisfaction or performance—either way, most guys say sex feels good.

Sex Question: What can I do to keep him from ejaculating too soon?

First of all, don’t stress him out about it. You can help by focusing on foreplay that doesn’t involve his penis. When you move on to sex, try delaying his orgasm with the squeeze method: Once your partner feels like he is going to climax, he stops and pinches his penis just under the head until the urge goes away, then he starts again, and the process is repeated until he wants to ejaculate. Another option is to have him ejaculate before you have sex (if he can get aroused again); men typically have more control the second time. If all else fails, he can talk to his doctor about medication that could help him last longer.

Sex Question: Is it weird that my boyfriend can get off only via blow job and not sex?

No. A mouth can simply do more than a vagina. If you want him to orgasm during intercourse, ask him to cut down his masturbation frequency. Additionally, if he regularly watches hard-core pornography, it can desensitize him, so it may take more to get him excited. See if a porn vacation makes a difference.

Sex Question: Does a penis change as a man gets older?

There is no evidence to suggest the erect penis physically changes much after about age 18. But as men age, hormonal, vascular and neural changes can lead to decreased penis sensitivity, erectile dysfunction (ED) and low libido. Half of all 40-to 70-year-olds have ED, compared with only 7 percent of men ages 18 to 29.

Sex Question: My partner claims he orgasms but doesn’t ejaculate. Is he lying?

No. He may be experiencing retrograde ejaculation, a disorder in which the ejaculate flows into the bladder instead of out of the penis. It can be a consequence of certain medical conditions, surgeries or medications. It’s not dangerous, but can make it difficult to conceive. Men experiencing this should see a doctor.

Sex Question: Do man parts get in the way like boobs can sometimes? (Try lying on your stomach with 34Fs!)